Ceban 15th in Shot Put on Final Day of NCAA Indoor Championships

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Sophomore Nicolai Ceban turned in a 15th-place effort in the shot put Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Indoor Championships inside the Birmingham CrossPlex. The finish earned Ceban Second Team All-America honors, making him the 13th Kansas shot putter to claim first or second team status in the indoor event.

Ceban’s day didn’t go precisely as planned, with the sophomore managing only one fair mark in his three attempts. The Moldova native had seen 11 throws over the 60-foot mark during his first four outings of the indoor season, but failed to break that barrier in a competition for the first time this season. Ceban’s first attempt resulted in a mark of 17.71 meters (58’1¼”), however that would be his only fair toss of the afternoon. Foot fouls on his next two attempts kept Ceban outside the top-nine on the leaderboard and without the opportunity for three more throws in finals.

Ceban ended his day in 15th-place, good enough to earn the sophomore second team All-America status. A Kansas thrower has now achieved first of second team All-America honors at the NCAA Indoor Championships eight times since 2006.

With the final meet of the indoor season now complete, the KU track & field squads now turn their attention to the outdoor portion of the 2016 campaign. The Jayhawks will kick off the outdoor season at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays on March 30-April 2. Kansas will host three meets during the outdoor season, with the 89th Kansas Relays running April 20-23 and the Rock Chalk Classic slated for April 30 a week later. Rock Chalk Park will also play host to the NCAA West Preliminary for the first time. The meet, which serves as the qualifying event for the NCAA Championships, will be held at Rock Chalk Park May 26-28.